St. Clair County’s Medical Health Officer says she “regretfully rescinds” her quarantine orders after threats from lawmakers to strip away state funding to counties which have issued emergency orders. Dr. Annette Mercatante in a statement provided to WPHM says despite the recension, quarantine is still the best way to control an infections disease and urges citizens to follow public health guidance. That includes self-quarantining for ten days if you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 and are unvaccinated, or seven days with a negative diagnostic test after the fifth day. The St. Clair County Board of Commissioners had requested the health department to rescind those orders two weeks ago, but at that time Dr. Mercatante stated that they did not have the power to do so. This time, language in the new 2022 state budget allows lawmakers to withhold funding, something Governor Whitmer says would be unconstitutional if they did.
